Oxygen delivery systems are often used in a hospital environment to assist patients suffering from impaired breathing or to assist in the administration of drugs to the patient, or simply to assure an oxygen rich breathing supply. A typical oxygen delivery system includes an oxygen source that supplies pressurized oxygen via a tube to a bag that communicates with the inside of a face mask. The face mask engages and encloses the face of the patient during oxygen delivery. These masks are usually made of molded plastic and include an elastic strap for maintaining a secured position on the face.
For sanitary reasons, the oxygen masks used in most oxygen delivery systems are discarded after use by a single individual. At times, for the same reason, more than one mask is used by the same individual. As a result, the conventional oxygen masks designed to be used with these systems are generally manufactured as a relatively inexpensive, "one size fits all" item.
While use of a single conventional size mask reduces hospital inventory and minimizes production costs, these economic advantages are achieved at the expense of the patient's comfort. For many patients, the flexible peripheral edge of the mask simply does not conform adequately to the face during oxygen delivery, particularly between the bridge of the nose and the cheeks. As a result, during oxygen delivery, pressurized oxygen gas leaks between the edge of the mask and the cheeks of the subject into the eyes, and it causes drying of the fluids on the surface of the eyes, resulting in a great deal of discomfort for the patient.
Moreover, leaked oxygen represents an additional cost that must be borne by the hospital and eventually passed on to the patient.
There exists a genuine need to eliminate the oxygen leakage from within the inside of a conventional oxygen mask during oxygen delivery.